Outside Adventures

With all this beautiful weather we've been having, Caroline has been enjoying lots more outside time. Hopefully we can make the most of it before the sweltering heat sets in!!!

Hanging in the front yard after church a couple of weeks ago...Caroline firmly believes that shoes are meant to be played with, rather than worn.

C and Mommy

It's a bird...It's a plane...It's DADDY!

Now that flip-flop weather is here to stay, my toes needed some serious attention, so Jon offered to babysit while I got a pedicure....

Quality time doing yard work with Daddy

She seemed to love being her Daddy's little helper :)

Hoppity Hop!

Here are the pictures from the photo shoot at North Park. Caroline loved her little bunny friend:) Grammy, Mimi, and Minnie (aka Team Grandma) were all on hand to participate in our little photo session. It was so much fun...Caroline is so lucky to have 3 wonderful grandmas to love on her!

Apparently, this photographer does this several times a year, with a variety of live animals (Dalmatian puppies, lambs, bunnies, etc.) CUTE! I think we'll have to do it again!!!

Spring Break '09

My my, how times have changed...There was a time when I spent my Spring Breaks on the beach with friends, but alas...those days are gone.

Instead, Caroline spent her first Spring Break in Dallas. I fully realize that we are not actually on break from school or work, but my mom is so we are helping her celebrate :)

We enjoyed a girls only lunch with our BFF, Matelyn...

"Oh Mattie, I LOVE your high chair cover!"

"Thanks Caroline, I really like yours, too!"

Of course we shopped...A LOT! She is just too cool for school in these shades.

We also had C's picture taken with the real bunnies (at North Park, for all you Dallas mommies). SO CUTE! I'll scan the pictures in and post them tomorrow!

We have had so much fun spending time with everyone here, but we can't wait to get back to Austin :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Caroline was decked out in her "wee bit o'Irish" shirt for St. Patty's Day...

She is part McGee afterall!!!

We are still in Dallas on "Spring Break" with my mom...Lots of fun so far! I will post pictures form our adventures soon :)

Deep thoughts with Jon; When do infants really know their parents??

As I sit in Austin without my wife and daughter, they are having "spring break" with family in Dallas, I can't help but wonder what Caroline is thinking. Does she know I'm not there? More importantly, does she miss me? I didn't know how much I would miss a six and a half months old slobber machine, but the truth is that just knowing they aren't 10 minutes away is hard.

Back to the posed question, when do babies know their parents? Although I want to think that Caroline knows who I am based on the fact that she lights up when I get home, I'm not so sure. My doubts stem from the fact that I watch her do the same thing when a "stranger" walks in. Does their brain process actual likes and dislikes or is it simlpy stimulation that pleases them. Maybe she does like me along with everyone else that she looks at. This may seem weird, but I want to know when she will know that I'm her dad.

Deep thoughts with Jon,
Jon

Welcome Benjamin!!!

Caroline is proud to announce the arrival of her newest cousin!!!

Benjamin Matthew Erickson arrived Wednesday, March 11 at 9:24 p.m.

He weighed in at 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 20 1/4 in.

Happy, healthy, and so handsome!!!!

Daddy, Bryce, got to scrub in for the c-section...Doctor...Doctor

Aunt Paige holding Benjamin on his birthday!

Caroline checking Benjamin out for the first time...She thinks he is adorable!

The beautiful family...Mommy Elizabeth, Daddy Bryce (Jon's bro), and Benjamin Matthew!

Congrats, Uncle B and Aunt E...we love you and we love Benjamin!!!!!

Not-so-Sweet Potatoes and the Attack of the Sippy Cup

We gave Caroline her first taste of food (other than cereal) on Thursday. Dr. G suggested we start with yellow/orange veggies, so I picked sweet potatoes.

Day one was a big success! She seemed to thoroughly enjoy the sweet potatoes...

First at breakfast...

Then again for dinner...
Full mouth!

Day 2 of sweet potatoes was yesterday (Friday). She ate a little bit for breakfast and then finished a whole container plus oatmeal cereal for dinner! What a hungry hippo!!!!! Next, we headed over to a friend's house for dinner. She was happy and playing, and as it neared bedtime, I decided to go ahead and give C her bottle. Well, apparently she was still full from her sweet potato domination...She proceed to throw up EVERYWHERE. All over her clothes, in my hands, and all over the rug (sorry Tif and Ryan!). We got her all cleaned up and changed into her jammies, at which time she proceeded to throw up twice more. Sigh. Poor, poor little pumpkin! I am pretty sure this was a result of over eating and not an adverse reaction to the sweet potatoes, but just to be sure we are taking a hiatus from them for a while...

Another first this week...The Sippy Cup.

Hmmm...

What is this thing?Is it for chewing?

How does it work?I almost got it!
YES! I figured it out!

But nothing came out!?!?!

Take that, sippy cup!!!!!!!!!!

She eventually threw it on the floor. I guess we still have a little work to do on the sippy cup :)

Shout out to my peeps...

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to the other Erickson Families who have joined the world of blogging!!!!
As most of you know, Jon has 3 older brothers, Clark, Bryce, and Steven...They are all married to my BFF's and sisters...Brittany, Elizabeth, and Diane (respectively). Well, Steven and Diane (who live in Kansas City) and Bryce and Elizabeth (who live in Dallas) have recently started blogging. Of course, I love that I can keep up with my niece, nephew, and neice or nephew-to-be!
Love yall!

Fun times...

We have been having all kinds of fun lately!

Last weekend, we went to a hunting/outdoors extravaganza (benefiting Young Life). It was fun...they had skeet shooting, dog demonstrations, and tours of the exotic wildlife on the ranch. They were raffling off "The Mule" and Jon was oh so hopeful that we would win. He decided to teach Caroline how to drive it, just in case...

Much to Jon's dismay, we didn't win :(

Sunday, we headed to Zilker Park for the 81st Annual Kite Festival. It was a gorgeous day; perfect for flying kites! Although we didn't get in on the kite flying, we enjoyed watching just as much...

There were kites EVERYWHERE...It was crazy!

We ran into the Settlemeyers, and Caroline was super excited to see her boyfriend, Connor :)

The view is much better from Daddy's shoulders!

After all the excitement, Caroline decided to relax and do a little reading...She is filling that big head of hers with all kinds of knowledge ;)

Tuesday, we headed back to Zilker Park to meet up with friends. We rode the Zilker Zephyr, which is a mini-train that goes around the park. SO fun!

Caroline's friend, Grayson, and her mommy Jess on the train...

This is the only pic I got of us on the train. Not great, but you get the idea :)

We had so much fun, we decided to do it again next week! Only next time, we are bringing a picnic lunch...even better!

6 month Check-up...

We had Caroline's 6 month check-up bright and early this morning. Here are the stats:

Weight: 17 lbs. 2 oz. (75th %tile)
Height: 26 in. (60th %tile)
Head: 46 cm. (greater than 97th %tile)

She is doing great! Dr. G said to start practicing with a sippy cup, which is CRAZY! A cup?!?!?! For my baby?!?!?! I really can't believe that. I guess she really is becoming a big girl before our very eyes :) I am also going to start supplementing with formula, as it appears I am no longer making enough milk to keep up with my hungry little pumpkin! We'll start that tonight, and as soon as we are sure she is tolerating the formula, we'll start giving her veggies for dinner...yum! She got 2 shots today, and did great...a few tears, but she was smiling before the nurse even left the room. Other than that, it was a good appointment :)

Oh yeah, her head is definitely off the charts...We have been teetering around those upper %tile's all along, but this time she finally made the jump to GREATER than 97%...I guess she has lots of brains, just like her momma ;)